Pack a Little, Clean a Little, Pack Pack Pack Pack-Clean Clean Clean Clean……**

OK, so off we go. So sorry about the lack of bloggage. I obviously have been a little busy. And may I say, we are on pace and have achieved all our goals so far. In the past two and a half weeks we have packed up the house, cleaned up the house, and today I start on the final process of cleaning up the yard and starting on the final pack up of clothes. Very exciting.

I have to say I’ll miss the big house, which is pretty dang empty now. Except for the garage, which is packed up with our stuff.

Remember the day when this was packed with stash and sewing machines?

 

One bed left

And one cat on the other bed.

She’s like “the hell???? what happened to my stuff?”

I do have to say, packing up has a way of sending one slightly off the rails

This is me, in the middle of the frenzy, wearing a scrub hat playing with my thimble collection. I found the scrub hat in a drawer somewhere and thought I’d put it on. Sadly, I continued to wear it most of the day. I realize I have that look that makes people take a wide berth when passing on the street.

However, I’m not as crazy as this

I can’t even explain it.

Trixie was Freaked Out,

but yet strangely fascinated. She’s like “the hell??? these people are crazy, and where’s my stuff?”

The dogs have realized that something might be happening which causes them to never be more than 2.57 feet away from me at all times. Makes packing/rearranging just that much more fun.

On the upside, I did pull myself together enough to have lunch with my coworkers-one of which you should recognize….

That would be Laura, Mary K, and myself at the new Nupa’s. Which used to be Hershfield’s, or something like that.

And if I were a native Rochesterarian (is that a word?) I’d know because that’s how I’d give directions-“Go to Nupa, not the old Nupa that is by the old McDonalds which used to be Hardees but is now a new Walgreens-you know-but don’t go there, go to the new Nupa which is by HyVee, but HyVee south, not north or Barlow, and it used to be Hershfields but it’s not, and it’s right by the Cap and Cork, which used to be the phone place but now is a liquor store. You know the spot.

Whereas I like to say, on Hiway 14, by HyVee south. Just past Broadway (or just before-depending on your direction). I am hoping street addresses are still popular back in the Northwest….

Anyway, we did have a nice lunch, delicious-and the guy just behind Laura was the county manager. So apparently Nupa is Olmsted County approved.

So that’s it, next blog will be from the road I hope. I think I can do it. Although it might be from Tacoma-maybe a brief note from Gramma’s when we get there.

In the meantime-Yeltsie wouldn’t even pose-she’s all “the hell? I’m sick of you people and where’s my stuff?

See ya in Seattle!

**Sometimes I have to wonder if anyone gets the references in the titles. For those who aren’t up on their epic musicals (and if life could be a musical I’d be in heaven) this would be a little take off on The Music Man-Pick a Little, Talk a Little.

Thank you and Safe Travels.

Reader’s Digest Condensed Version

OK, I do have news. But most people know it by now.

I have a new job in Federal Way, working for a Medicare advantage company. I think, I really think, I might actually get to think at this job. I’ll be leaving in about 3 weeks. Moving back to home. So I have a lot to do. Way too much for the weeks I have.

But here’s a short version of what’s been happening-

I raced probably my last Western Days Stampede, where the weather was fab and I placed 1 out of 2 in my age division. It was a great run.

 

Start…..

Finish. I ran with this guy almost the whole way. He kept me going at a fine pace. And he never complained about my heavy feet and loud breathing.

I worked my last Saturday at Pine Needles, where Marcia scared the crap out of me by putting this naked person in the middle of the bathroom floor, so when you walked into the dark room, well, you get the picture. Gosh she was proud. Here she is, wrestling said naked person back into the shower-where she belongs

This past weekend, though, instead of getting ready to leave, I ran Ragnar for the Divas, third year in a row.

Starting in Winona-Van one!

I thought this was a bit funny. Those Ragnarians, they can be hilarious.

Lunch after leg one!

Resting in Stockholm, WI

Free Bloodies after we finished

And, our team at the end. I have more pictures but I don’t have more time. I’ve got to go pack-

Oh, but Laura showed up last week with a new hair.

I should say she showed up with about a foot less hair. So I took this picture but thought it looked a bit like muggish-so, we did it up right-

Touché Randy Travis, Lindsay Lohen, Nick Nolte-your mugs got nothin’ on this!

Oh, I’ve got news

But, not quite yet.

Till then-

Just a hint of what I’ve been working on-

Look at this-the neighbors….but yet…

A bouncy house in the neighbors yard? Meh-McKayla is not impressed-

Yep-look here

Film at 11

Productive, and then, not so much

I was tired this week. Post Vacation Stress Disorder. Look it up, it’s in the book.

Anyway, I did manage to finish this quilt top, which is so very cute.

It’s bugs. Now that I’ve made it once, realized it’s sort of directional, and figured out the errata in the pattern, I think I will make it again.

Otherwise, it’s been a regular week. Went to work, went to the gym, came home, watched a crap-ton of Olympics. Angie and I were at a client’s house and they had men’s beach volley ball on. Can you say distracted? And it was on an Olympic sized TV--very life sized, up close, and personal.

I wanted to show a very rare picture of the cats on the table. Because this just doesn’t happen more than once a day a lifetime.

Bastards.

See how they mock me?

Lastly, I stole a picture from Laura who, besides being fabulous in front of the camera, is also not bad behind one.

This is entitled “Fly”

See what I mean?

Pardon my Absence

I was on “vacation”.

My “vacations” are usually not so much. This one was no exception. It was very busy and there was moving involved. And the moving involved the Gramma’s. Remember the hoarding room? Ok, now mulitply by the other 2200 square feet, throw in a garage, and there you have it. Now move it to 1300 square feet. And what do you get?

Sisters eating cake right off the platter.

But I digress. (But see the boxes on the right, and the whatever it is thrown on top of the candle on the table, and the pictures stacked against the wall? Get it?)

My vacay started out a week ago Friday with a trip to North Dakota-Grand Forks to be exact. We took Blane and Kitten back home, with some other stuff too. (Blane came down to visit for a couple of days). It was sort of a little training run for the big move.

This is North Dakota

Flat. But there is a continental divide-

You know-I think this might be Minnesota.

We can’t remember anymore. What it isn’t is the Continental divide that I passed over in Montana. Still, it is a divide of some kind. I think it has to do with watersheds. OK, whatev, moving on.

We got Blane home and Kitten too. I think she was happy to get out of the car. And happy to be home with Blane.

We went out to dinner at the Toasted Frog which was delish. Don’t pass it up on your next trip there.

After a little tour, Blane was off to his apt and we were off to the Space Alien Bar and Grill to get a little of this.

x 5=

That’s what I am talkin’ about. Vacay.

We left the next day and headed back to Minne and had some time to visit my friend Kari-who just had the cutest baby, Evelyn. I mean, this is a cute baby, and really, really little. (She’s 4 months old and totally genius)

Really, cute and happy-even though she just woke up

I have a bunch more but I don’t suppose you would be as thrilled with Kari’s baby as I was (well, Laura probably would be, but we all know about her crazy fondness for all things baby)

We ran to a yarn store because I had an epic needle fail-

Yeah. Whoops. Replaced with metal needles-just saying. And that was the extent of my knitting-airport and airplane, throughout the vacay at Gramma’s.

The Gramma’s have a pretty sweet crib-right on the lake.

 

Seriously, you can’t beat it

And, I noticed, they brought the important stuff-

Some of that liquor was so old we weren’t sure it was safe to consume. We checked out that tall blue one on the right. Well, Cody did when he arrived on the following Friday. It was just a little bit scary.

So, back to the story, I arrived on Saturday, unpacked a bunch of stuff on Sunday, and we had a little birthday soiree for mother on Sunday night.

Monday we went to Longview to visit my Uncle Lyle and assorted family members. Uncle Lyle has been sick and in the hospital, so we were glad to see him back at home.

Here we are. We are missing one cousin. It was surely nice to see everyone.

For some reason, Tuesday is sort of a blank, except for Nina came to visit. And I didn’t get a picture. What was I thinking?

Wednesday I cruised up to Snoqualmie and saw my old friends from Dutch Harbor. We used to work together at the clinic.

Me and Clare and Rosey. She’s an NP and a swell person and I was so happy to see her I could have cried.

And here we are with Tiny, who is Calette’s husband-

And here’s the elusive Calette-who wouldn’t be photographed with us. I know! I was so happy to see her I could have cried again. And although we hadn’t seen each other in years, it was just like we never left.

We went up to Snoqualmie falls-it was a beautiful day.

This is the best picture ever!

A girl and her dog!

The views were fab

We took Rosey swimming for a while-

We had lunch, and then it was time for me to go. I missed happy hour and a growler so I was a little sad. But I had places to be.

Thursday I was up to Seattle-

And it was another sweet day. Punctuated by a little trip to Nordstrom for the half yearly. That IS what I am talking about.

(Sorry for again blogging Seattle with no rain. I did get a little fog on the lake-hope that makes everyone feel better.)

Friday I hung around the area and the girls were at the house cleaning up. (They had already finished the cake by this time).

We spent the evening at an Indian cooking class, and let me tell you, it was fantastic.

 

We were happy to eat it!

I learned a ton about spices and how they flavor food. I already tried it on some squash since I’ve been home.

I picked up Cody later and on Saturday I was up to Kent to the Skacel 25th Anniversary. I met up with my friends Nancy and Julie-again, so so happy to see them.

Arriving

Touring the fibery goodness that is known as the warehouse

 

We were sort of glad there was nothing to buy because, well, that could have been a problem. Seriously.

We met up with the famous Michelle (KnitPurl) Hunter. I have knitted many of her patterns in her knit-a-longs.

And Julie and I demonstrated that we really are connected needle heads

And back to the Grammas for the afternoon and a dinner date for my last night in town

And Sunday, I came back home.

Are you tired yet, because I still am. But it was fun, most of the time. And being with family and old friends is always good, no matter what you’re up to.

PS I left out the moving parts where I was repeating “there isn’t enough room for that” and “just throw it away” or “just because it can fit doesn’t mean it has to fit” while beating my head against the wall over and over, then having some cake and cookies to ease the pain. I just didn’t think my blogosphere was ready for that. Yet.